BruiserKC

It has nothing to do with fickle fans...it's the fact the NHL has pissed away great opportunities in the last 10 years or so to bring aboard new fans. The fickle ones bailed after the '94-95 lockout. They are the same ones who no doubt were willing to give the NHL a chance but on the heels of the cancellation of the '94 World Series said, "Not again! Screw this!" And that was that. For myself, I'm sick of the stories being more about what goes on in the boardroom than on the ice. For two years now they were talking about the day when they would have to come to the point of lockout they did...two years where the owners and players could have gotten a deal done. Both the NHLPA and the owners didn't learn the lesson that people want to see them play, not sit on the sidelines. Unfortunately, the fans didn't seem to make that point clear enough to them or maybe this could have been averted. In 2002, when there was a threat of another baseball strike at the tail end of the season, the fans let the players and owners know if it happened, they were gone. (I know many baseball fans that have yet to return since the '94 strike).

As a longtime NHL fan...I was extremely ticked off with the lockout and all. No...it wasn't all the players fault...the owners are every bit as greedy as the players are. But you would think that they would come to the realization they were losing the casual fan and starting to lose some of the hardcore base. (What baseball doesn't tell you is they lost quite a few hardcore fans to the '94 strike and have yet to come back if ever.) They had plenty of time to get a deal done and pissed all that time away. I was, however...willing to give it another chance since I love the sport. After Roenick's comments, I'm done with the NHL for good. Regardless of context, etc...telling fans who felt the players were greedy to kiss his ass was a slap in the face to all fans everywhere. First of all, Roenick...that's Vince McMahon's line. Second of all, the players (and owners) were greedy enough to throw away an entire year. So in the process you hurt not only the fans but the folks who made their living selling tickets, food, concessions, etc. You don't think they have a right to be upset? This could have been prevented...both sides are to blame for that and I hold both sides equally responsible. As for ESPN...ESPN was at least still trying to put hockey on and give it to the fans. Otherwise, the only US outlet would have been NBC (which in the last few years has given way to non-sports like Arena Football, Neckcar, golf, and tennis). Maybe Roenick's comment was wrong...but it was said and even if you add another line or two of video to it you can't hide the fact that he told the fans to kiss his ass. Can't put any type of spin on that to make it sound any better. It's still BS no matter how you slice it. Also, Roenick...I don't know if I'm in the minority here with this but here goes...This is not just dangerous to the NHL and its future. This lockout could potentially be fatal. The league is in huge trouble right now with struggling teams financially, especially the Canadian teams that have a hard time competing with the dollar exchange. If the NHL doesn't right the ship and fast, you'll be soon going the way of the XFL, the ABA, and the USFL...we'll be talking about a league that used to exist! Well...Roenick...it doesn't matter to you. So be it...I'll keep my ass at home...and not buying your merchandise, pimping the NHL website or watching on TV. You're upset, you're entitled to that. But you're dead wrong. I'll put my dollars towards our junior league teams, high school hockey, and the minor league team starting this October.

I'm assuming he was fired alongside Duggan. The only reason Duggan was brought back was because of his performance against Ted Dibiase at the Paul Boesch retirement show in August of 87. I believe the Iron Sheik came back for about 2 weeks in mid 1988. As far as the Flying Nuns, I think they only had one match - that being their debut against the Godwinns on the 1st episode of Shotgun. Here's a little something if someone thought offices not knowing what they're doing is a new thing. Iron Sheik went to work for Crockett's NWA in 1989. Of course he was pretty useless by then and he wasn't used much. Anyway. NWA had a clause in his contract that stated that either party had to terminate the contract before if expired otherwise it would get renewed automatically. And of course, they forgot to fire him much to the amusement of anyone who was reading the Observer back then. Hmmm. Looks like I forgot to mention that he was on a guarenteed contract. Doh! Don't you just hate to make mistakes while pointing out that someone screwed up <{POST_SNAPBACK}> If memory serves...I think Iron Sheik challenged Sting for the TV title at Wrestlewar 89...and Sting defeated him.

Oh, for the days when ESPN became the worldwide leader in Magic The Gathering and the National Spelling Bee.

If giving up one of these freedoms could ensure your safety which one would you reliquish? freedom of speech freedom of press right to privacy right to trial by jury <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The answer is simple...I won't give up any of my freedoms, no matter what. Now...my thoughts on the war. To say I'm for the war is really not an accurate statement. I don't think there's anyone in their right mind that is really for war and cheers for war the way we cheer Ric Flair coming down the aisle. However...I think we have to fight this war with every ounce of our being and to hell with political correctness. That means let's not be worried about what the rest of the world thinks...we're at war with a faction that wants to destroy us...or something more sinister. I compare what the Islamists (note they don't represent all Islam) to the Nazis pre and during World War II. They have some legit greivances with America for our involvement in the Middle East...the Nazis had some legit gripes over the way the British and French punished them and beat them down after World War I. However...both had some sinister motives also. For the Nazis...it was to re-take over their lands and then move on to eliminate Europe as a threat while killing off their enemies on the way...like Jews, Gypsies, Russians, etc. The Islamists don't want to see their lands enter the 21st century with Western influences...they want to remove all such influence from their lands that threatens them and their civilization. Also...they want to eliminate those threats from returning once they've left...only way to do this is to resurrect the Crusades...pushing Israel into the sea and turning as many European nations (and eventually the US perhaps) into Islamic states. For those who think it couldn't happen...note the huge numbers of Arabs and Muslims pouring into Europe. No wonder the French are nervous...Chirac doesn't want buses blowing up all over Paris. And it's not about hating us for our freedoms...to them, our freedoms make us weak. Letting the dissenting voices speak their minds...giving the disenfranchised the means to survive, etc. It's a threat to their way of life...that's why to them the only way to eliminate that threat is to force conversion to Allah. Long shot I know...but I think that's their agenda. So...the simple solution is this...fight the war all-out. We have a much stronger military...use it to crush the insurgency and spare no quarter in doing so. If that means turning Fallujah into a parking lot, so be it. If that means blowing up a shrine that houses insurgents using it for a fortress...let's do it. The second a place of worship, school, etc...is used for something other than its original purpose and becomes a place to make war from...it should no longer be given protection. The Germans used the cathedrals in Italy as fortresses as the Allies pushed towards Rome...they got taken out. Ditto with schools, etc. If we want to change their hearts and minds...first order of business needs to be to install in them the fear and the realization that we have the means and will absolutely crush them. When they see their cause is doomed, maybe they'll listen to reason. As for being against the war...I have no problem with being against the war as long as you're against it because you hate war. That I can live with. Problem is...the libs who bash all of Bush's ideas just seem to be hating the war because one of their own isn't running the show. Plus...the libs and Dems seem to not have any solutions on how to make things better.

We're fighting a war against people who want to either destroy us or make us bow before Allah ultimately. Illegal aliens are swarming over the border and the politicians that are supposed to protect us are playing pocket pool. Meanwhile, our politicans feel we need to protect us from just one or two putzes a year who feel they have to protest by using the flag for kindling. Boy, our people have their priorities straight. (Note very heavy dripping sarcasm)

10 favorite sporting moments I've had the chance to witness either live or on TV. Keep in mind this is my list strictly for entertainment purposes...no gambling against the spread. 10. The Fog Bowl in '88 between my Bears and the Eagles in the playoffs...even though I couldn't see half the game I didn't care it was a moment never to forget. Got to be in Soldier Field for that one. 9. Reggie Miller's 8 points in 20 seconds in game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference playoff series with the Knicks. It's a shame Miller never won the title...he was one of the best clutch performers in NBA history. 8. Ozzie Smith's homerun in the bottom of the 12th inning in the '85 NLCS Game 5 for the Cardinals to beat the Dodgers..."And the Cardinals win by the score of 3 to 2 on a homerun by the Wizard!" 7. Mark Loughlin's field-goal in 1985 as my then Number 1 Iowa Hawkeyes beat Number 2 Michigan 12-10. 6. Danny and the Miracles...Kansas upsetting Oklahoma to win the 1988 NCAA national basketball title. 5. Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson in February 1990 to become the World Heavyweight Champion...one of the greatest upsets in sports, period. And Tyson was never the same after that. 4. Mark McGwire's 62nd home run in 1998...yes he was juiced but it was still a great moment in sports. 3. The Catch...Joe Montana to Dwight Clark as the Niners beat the Cowboys in the 1981 NFC title game. 2. Adam Vinateri beating the Rams with his foot in SB 36...I hate the Rams and their then-Arena Football QB Warner. 1. The Dream Team winning gold in Barcelona in '92...ironically now the world seems to beat the US with the style we used for years...team play.

I would have said Bruiser Brody...Sandman may have been the Hardcore Icon, Mick Foley a Hardcore Legend...but Brody was the King of Hardcore. But to be different, I'm going to say one of the most underrated talents of all-time...Double A, Arn Anderson.

Finally we get to see what Phil can do with a real coaching challenge...rebuilding a team and getting them to the championship level as opposed to being almost there. But why would he go back to L.A. after he got run out last year. Better fits might have been Detroit (if Brown went to the front office in C-town), Miami, or even Dallas.

Come playoff time...don't stretch the playoffs out forever to make it seem like every single game has to be on. Do it like they do with the NCAA basketball tournament...have about four games at once...regionalize the watching. People in the Midwest would be more up for St. Louis vs. Chicago for example as opposed to Montreal vs. Buffalo, etc. This way...if one game is a blowout and another is going to the wire they can switch to it and then go back to the other without missing much.

This guy has way too much time on his hands...the man needs a life.

Some of my fave promos...and I have seen quite a few. Ole Anderson in GCW telling his partner Thunderbolt Patterson he was dumping him for his nephew Arn..."I look at my nephew and see everything an Anderson should be...today is a free day tomorrow watch your back!" Get chills whenever I hear that promo again. Sid Justice's promo before WM 8 against Hogan..."There's two kinds of bees...there's the bees that make honey. Then THERE'S THE BEE LIKE YOU FATSO! The used to bee!" Just hearing someone call Hogan fatso is just priceless. Arn Anderson's retirement promo in WCW...almost brought tears to my eyes as he was one of the underrated characters of all-time in wrestling. Rhyno's promo after winning the ECW World title..."This is the belt they'll all die for? Well this is the belt then I will KILL FOR!"

Two baseball injuries come to mind. Wade Boggs tries to put on cowboy boots in a hotel room...keels over and bruises his ribs. Vince Coleman in the 1985 playoffs, oblivious to the oncoming tarp behind him which rolls over his leg and he misses the remainder of the playoffs.

Hi folks...long time listener first time poster. To me, the idea of bias in the media is a two-fold issue. One, the media's jobs are not to make everyone happy. Someone's feathers are going to be ruffled on any issue. Whether it's which regional team is better or the school board misappropriating money set aside for the schools...someone's not going to be happy. But I have to wonder when it comes to the money...do some facts get left out on the editor's cutting room floor to make room for the ad for that big fur sale at the local department store? Second, we've become so polarized politically, especially in the United States...that media bias can be interpreted as anything the media puts out that doesn't represent fully and unquestionably...your side of things. If a story mentions the good things that are happening in Iraq, the liberals think you are endorsing the actions of a war criminal. If the story talks about some things not going very well, the conservatives find you a traitor and an American-basher. You can't objectively look at both sides of the story and make everyone happy.